Library of Congress

National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman reads her work, “An American Lyric,” at the inaugural reading of Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, September 13, 2017. Photo by Shawn Miller. Today, the Presidential Inaugural Committee for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris announced that former National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman will......

The Napoleonic Wars began in 1803 and lasted until Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815. The Geography and Map Division holds numerous maps of the battle. I am sharing images of a few of my favorites. I would like to begin with a brief summary of Napoleon’s final battle and......

The following post was written by Rob Casper and Anne Holmes. It’s a celebratory day for Joy Harjo: the Librarian of Congress has just appointed our poet laureate to serve a third term in the position. Joy is only the second poet in the history of the laureateship to do......

European colonists were fascinated with the wildlife of the Western Hemisphere. They described fauna native to the Americas in memoirs, travel journals and poetry. Pictures of the unfamiliar animals were often printed on maps. In this post I will discuss four colonial era maps that were decorated with illustrations of......

The following post was written by Guy Lamolinara, communications officer in the Center for the Book. It first appeared on the National Book Festival blog. Poetry & Prose. The name is appropriately alliterative for this long-running stage at the Library of Congress National Book Festival that features some of our......

Atlantic Neptune set of nautical charts covering the eastern coast of North America, ca. 1774-1800. Attributed to J. F. W. Des Barres and published under the auspices of the British Admiralty. Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.” width=”640″ height=”930″ srcset=”https://blogs.loc.gov/maps/files/2020/08/AN-TP-705×1024.jpg 705w, https://blogs.loc.gov/maps/files/2020/08/AN-TP-207×300.jpg 207w, https://blogs.loc.gov/maps/files/2020/08/AN-TP-768×1115.jpg 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px”/>......

Tonight at 7 PM EST we’re excited to feature the last event in our National Book Festival Presents series “Hear You, Hear Me.” A week ago I wrote about the event featuring Joy Harjo and Tracy K. Smith, our past and present U.S. Poets Laureate appointed by the Librarian. What......

Between 1755 and 1775, over the course of just twenty years, three seminal maps of North America were published in London, even though those responsible for the maps never left England! These three maps, discussed in more detail below, were prepared for a British audience in an attempt to reinforce......

The following guest post by Susan Garfinkel, a research specialist in the Researcher and Reference Services Division, is offered in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month. Sholem Aleichem at his writing desk, Saint Petersburg, 1904. YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. As additional collections are digitized, those of us who keep an......

These ten maps on a single sheet, published in 1918 by the Italian-American News Bureau, call attention to the significance of the port of Fiume to many Italians, besides the hero of our story.  Geography and Map Division.  Italy – Fiume – 1918 – Italian American New Bureau The Croatian......

The following is a guest post by Brooke Biastock, who completed a month-long internship at the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center over the Hollins University January 2020 Term. This post is part of our “Literary Treasures” series, which highlights audio and video recordings drawn from the Library’s extensive online......

The following guest post was written by Kaleena Black, educational resources specialist in the Library’s Learning and Innovation Office. Joy Harjo performs with her band during her opening event as the U.S. Poet Laureate at the Library of Congress, September 19, 2019. Photo by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress. The recent......

This is a guest post by Kathy Hart, Head of the Research Access and Collection Development Section in the Geography and Map Division. Libraries and museums often feature maps and related geographic content in digital and analog, large or small exhibits, displays and workshops. When considering the variety of materials......

The following is a guest post by Mark F. Hall, a research specialist in the Library of Congress’s Researcher and Reference Services Division. Page 26 [detail] of Nature Study: Birds, by Chester A. Reed. Worcester, Mass., C.K. Reed, 1910. From the Internet Archive. From Biodiversity Heritage Library. In this time......

One of my favorite computer games as a child was called The Yukon Trail. Made in 1994, the player became a prospector in the late 19th century Klondike gold rush, navigating the treacherous trail in an attempt to stay alive and strike it rich. What I recently discovered while browsing our map......

The following guest post, part of our “Teacher’s Corner” series, is by Rebecca Newland, a Fairfax County Public Schools Librarian and former Teacher in Residence at the Library of Congress. Pretty guest on board Marconi’s yacht “listens in” on pioneer’s own set, 1922. Prints & Photographs Division. Many of us......

Yesterday was officially the last day of National Poetry Month, but we at the Library celebrate poetry all year round! And we’re excited to announce the final feature in “The Poetry of Home,” our online collaboration with The Washington Post. The series kicked off three Fridays ago by featuring our......

Joy Harjo takes the stage for her opening performance as the 23rd Poet Laureate, September 19, 2019. Photo by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress. Today, on the last day of National Poetry Month, we are thrilled to report that the Librarian of Congress has appointed Joy Harjo for a second term......